Chapter 10: Betrayal
ALBUS POV
I had been seeing less and less of Charlotte Harte, and now that I was taking Adele Rubaud to the ball as instructed and recommended by my brother, James, I was seeing more and more of her. I trusted my brother with girl issues. He always did get the girls, right? I was never good at that, but he always seemed to know what to do.
I walked through the west corridor into the courtyard where couples sat, groups of friends studied, and professors overlooked unruly students.
I looked around, maybe for a quiet place under a tree to study for the OWLs or read about Jupiter's moons, but instead, I saw something rather upsetting.
Charlotte Harte: my Charlotte Harte, sitting with James Potter: my brother, James. On top of that, they were holding hands. Who was James to hold hands with her? GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF HER, YOU ARSEHOLE!
That wasn't all. She leaned in. NO THIS WASN'T HAPPENING! IT COULDN'T! This had to be a nightmare! Someone wake me up!
Despite my pleas in my head, I did not wake up. Leaning in farther, their lips met, and stayed there. Were they actually snogging? How?
Adele, the last person I wanted to talk to at the moment began, "Hey, Alby, I was thinking, about the ball-"
"SHUT-UP," all eyes now directed toward us two at my sudden outburst of fury.
"Oh, Alby."
"Don't call me that!" Now everyone was absolutely, positively staring, but I didn't care. I was done. I stormed away, not looking back as I ran off to Black Lake to clear my head of the awful sights.
I threw stone after stone, attempting to skip them on the surface of the water to make delicate, duplicating rings bounce in all directions. Instead they plunked with a loud splash on the first touch to the water making waves of angry rage.
How was this happening? Was this a setup? Did James tell me to take Adele so he could have Charlotte all to himself? He knew she would go off when she realized I was taking Adele Rubaud. I AM NEVER LISTENING TO HIM AGAIN. I HATE HIM. I HATE JAMES SIRIUS POTTER!
I was so enraged and busy with my throwing, getting more vigorous every second, I didn't notice a slender, hurried figure approaching me.
"Albus, come down from there. Come back to the castle, you'll freeze out here!" Charlotte attempted to soothe.
"Oh, and now you expect me to always follow your wonderful advice," my exasperation and sarcasm enunciated, "Did you really think I wouldn't be upset by that? How could you not tell me? How could you do something like that to me?"
"Do what? You had your chance, and your brother took his. He's just… He's just…"
"Just what, Charlotte?!"
"Better than you!" she then stormed off, angrily, half-running to the castle. Probably going to go snog James again and laugh over my humiliation.
How could she say that? He was a pig! But apparently she had made up her mind. And that meant she would mean nothing to me now.
Both of them. They played me and I hated them for it. I would never forgive them; what they did was unforgettable.
Of course James had masterminded this plan. He had planned it all along. Of course, a girl meant more to him than his own damn brother. He didn't care what I felt, he only thought of himself and the next girl to shag.
Everything had turned around in seconds, and now I hated them.
Plunk, splash.
Plunk, splash.
The clock struck 4.
Plunk, splash.
5.
Plunk, splash.
6.
Plunk, splash.
7.
Plunk, splash.
Today being a Saturday, a prefect meeting was being held in the Defense Against the Dark Arts lecture hall at 7:30. Within all my rage, which was only beginning to wear off, I realized I had to attend the meeting. It took time to get across the castle to where I needed to go, so I rushed up the cobblestone to the south entrance.
I saw Rose standing against the side of the arch way, looking through her dark velvet handbag for who knows what type of makeup or beauty product.
Although I tended to keep to myself here at Hogwarts, I needed someone to tell, to vent to.
"Rose, rose, I need you."
"Sure, Albus," realizing the look of anger and rage on my face, "Wha-what's wrong?"
"James, that bastard! He stole her! He took the girl of my dreams!"
"Albus," she started soothingly, "what?"
"Charlotte! He stole her!"
"What? No, James and her. They're a thing, you know? And what do you mean 'stole'?"
"You knew?! How could you not tell me!? A 'thing'?" more baffled than ever, "What do you mean they have a 'thing'?"
"They, well, are together, you know, a couple?"
I stormed away not wanting to hear more about how Charlotte Harte had slipped through my fingers.
I heard Rose calling from behind me, "Al, wait! Char is the-the girl of your…"
I didn't hear the rest and didn't want to. I was furious with all of them. They all knew. Everyone except me, and no one bothered to share.
The prefect meeting ran late. Everyone was already in bed. Well, almost everyone.
I heard voices coming from down the corridor. I stood, hidden from the view of the rule-breaking students, behind a cool, stone wall. I slowly peered around the wall, only to see James. One arm on the wall near Charlotte's head, the other wrapped around her waist. He talked smoothly to her as she batted her eyes and laughed flirtatiously at whatever he said.
She was obviously too blinded by his smoothness to realize that he was a player who only wanted the intimate aspects of a relationship.
"I don't want to go to bed," Charlotte whined.
"Well, you can come sleep with me if you'd like," James said coolly adding a playful smirk, biting his lip. I couldn't distinguish whether he was joking or serious, but joking or not, I knew that he would want something out of their relationship. I didn't want Charlotte to fall in any of his traps, but after what she had done to me: dangling herself in front of me, only to let me down and, without telling me, get with my brother, I didn't care if she fell for it.
Charlotte just giggled and made goo-goo eyes with James, kissing him lightly on the upper lip, thinking he was joking.
I was sickened by their lovey-dovey-ness and my lunch threatened to reappear. I was not seeing that fish again.
I walked swiftly from my hiding place, revealing myself to the 'couple'. My face read as if World War III had just started and my army was already defeated. I was raging, fuming, boiling with anger.
"Woah there. Why are you knickers in a bunch?" James called out to me. I almost didn't turn to face them. I could have continued on to my dorm to read my new book from the library, but then I heard it:
Charlotte's giggle. The one I used to love. The one that used to play over and over in my dreams.
Now, it was a menacing cackle. I flipped around to face them.
"Shouldn't you two be in your dorms?" making an emphasis on the s in dorms. "If you haven't noticed, it is quite late, and since I am a prefect, I can get you in all the trouble I want. Now, if I were you, I would head off to bed now, and not sneak out again, or when we catch you the second time, we might have to arrange a suspension with the headmaster." Feeling their newfound fear of me, I continued down the corridor toward the Slytherin dungeons.
JAMES POV
I untied the red ribbons that ensnared the brown paper package that held the powder pink dress for Lily, studded with salmon colored jewels, and the two dress robes fitted for Albus and myself. At least they weren't too shabby. They even looked new.
But this meant one thing: I had to deliver this personally to Albus. Well, shit.
I started with Lily's dress because I figured that visit would be much more pleasant than the one with my brother.
"Hi Lily," I walked up to her and her group of friends who giddily jumped when they saw me, whispering in each other's ears. "I have something for you," I sang out and held her dress in my hands which I had wrapped back up in the paper so she and her friends would be surprised out of the arrival.
She squealed with delight as she ripped off the paper. "Oh my goodness! It's beautiful!"
All of her friends agreed with awe. Once they were done cooing, Lily sang out, "So James, who are you taking to the ball?"
"It's none of your business," I taunted, crossing my arms.
"Oh, come on!" she playfully punched my arm.
"Fine. It's Charlotte," all her friends cooed and whispered amongst each other even more blatantly this time. Lily gave me a questioning look, but when I gave her a smile and nodded, she began to squeal with the rest of her friends.
I walked to the other side of the castle to the courtyard where Albus usual resided with the rest of the nerd clan.
I didn't want any interaction once so ever with the dag, but I had to get this to him somehow. I walked up to where he sat in the grass with his friends and tossed the package containing his robes into his lap.
"They're from mom. I guess she didn't know you'd be taking a good for nothing Slytherin as your date."
"I guess I didn't know you were so good-for-nothing that you would steal my date," he retorted.
I walked away from him before I was pummeling him to the floor. He was so immature. Typical little brother.
Besides I didn't think he was good enough for Charlotte.
Although, I did feel bad for Albus underneath it all.
I did because he seemed so giddy with pretty girls and didn't know how to act. Maybe he had a chance with this one.
At the same time, I didn't; I was the first one to like Charlotte. I had from the beginning, but then Albus had to saunter in on my budding relationship. I could have had something special with Charlotte a long time ago.
My regrets vanish every time I think of how he stole a girl from me. Albus, who hardly knows what a girl is, stole a girl from me, a charmer who can get whichever girl he wants. He just had to pick Charlotte, didn't he?
A/N- So I know this chapter was really short but trust me the next one will make up for it. The next one is the Halloween Ball! We're going to see some serious changes in the story.
What did you guys think about Scorpius in the last chapter? I just love their friendship.
And do you prefer James or Albus?
Let me know.
Thanks for reading.
Review.